A DAY TO NOT REMEMBER
by Ballyuk
Summary: Lois loses all her memories from when she arrived in Smallville after the Talon is robbed, requiring the help of Clark and Chloe. Revised take on the premise of 4x19 (Blank).
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the characters. This is merely a tweak to the original story by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, as directed by Jeannot Szwarc and as such, there are elements of plot and dialogue that are from the episode. Because of the differences between this and the episode it is based on, there are no scenes involving Lex.**

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 **A DAY TO NOT REMEMBER.**

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 **Chapter 1.**

He stood to one side of the counter, watching. All around him, animated chatter and laughter as the Talon was at its busiest. Waitresses were swinging by tables clearing up empty cups and plates as the two behind the counter serving customers fought to keep up with the veritable avalanche of orders.

Lois was now in her element with the frantic activity, calling out for waitresses to take orders to the right tables as she began dealing with the next orders. A shake of cinnamon here, a sprinkling of chocolate there, plus a squirt of whipped cream to top it all off. She and the other girl were perfectly in sync moving from coffee machine to counter to cash register. It was one of those rare mornings when there was a coffee rush at the Talon as though the town's entire student population had piled in for their caffeine fix.

He wasn't there to eye up the pretty girls behind the counter though. He was there to empty the cash register. He found it strange how robbing cash registers was easiest in places where it was very busy as despite there being so many pairs of eyes, none of them were ever paying attention to the nondescript kid in the biker jacket. Kevin Grady was remarkable for being unremarkable and he looked at it as both a gift and a curse - he never attracted any attention, but he never attracted any attention either.

Stealing money was once deemed a necessity after running away from home but Kevin now found himself regularly on the end of that necessity after deciding he couldn't go back for good, and he put the root cause down to events barely a year ago. Kevin was still reeling from his brother's death in a hunting accident in the woods near Smallville. It was a hunt he, his brother and his dad had done on many occasions and there had never been any incidents before. It had always been fun. Kevin loved to go hunting and fishing but he couldn't bring himself to pick up a gun now. Even a fishing rod held no interest.

The other girl had stepped away from behind the counter as she went to froth some milk for some extra large lattes, so Kevin took that as his cue to sidle up behind the counter, snagging a muffin and putting it in his pocket while Lois was preoccupied with another order. The two customers standing by the counter right in front of the muffin tray didn't see a thing, so engrossed were they in their own conversation. At the same time, Clark and Chloe walked into the busy Talon to grab a cup of coffee.

Clark was secretly hoping that Lois would serve him as it would give him a chance to tease her about her coffee-making skills and attempts at waitressing. He knew she would have to bite her tongue when answering back because a full-on snarky comeback would look inappropriate in front of the customers, and he knew she wouldn't be happy about that. The waitressing didn't come easily to her but barking out orders and making sure people had the correct money certainly did. He actually thought she made a very good cup of coffee but it was more fun to annoy her by pretending she didn't. It was something that aroused his curiosity because the very things he thought Lois was good at, she often dismissed as trivial or claimed to not be interested in. A case in point was her short stint writing articles for the Torch. The articles had largely been well received by the students and some of the most popular editions featured articles written by her, such as her piece on cosmetic surgery. If only Lois could be bothered to learn how to use a spell checker, maybe she could get into journalism like Chloe.

It wasn't long before they'd be graduating from high school, so naturally a lot of discussion centred on what major they would be studying and which colleges or universities they'd be applying to. It was this discussion that Clark and Chloe were having as they walked in. Clark mentioned trying for the University of Miami as it represented the fresh start he felt he needed, though being him, he also felt guilty for leaving his parents to run the farm. Chloe's response was in keeping with several other observations of hers in recent weeks, talking about his skills. It was what she wasn't saying that troubled him a little, like she knew something but wasn't letting on as to what it was.

Lois had just taken payment and opened the cash register. However, she left it open and unattended for a brief moment while taking the next order and that's when Kevin seized his opportunity. He stepped around her and straight to the register, swiping a huge handful of cash and filling the backpack he had with him. Again, nobody had seen a thing but this time, Lois had felt something move behind her. Looking to her right, the other girl was still frothing milk. Looking to her left, she saw Kevin standing there. He froze.

"What can I get you?" she asked him.

His panic was building as the register was still open right in front of him. "Uh, thanks, I've already been helped." He backed away and made a beeline for the back door of the Talon, needing to get away from the scene of the crime.

Lois was about to resume dealing with the last order when her eyes fell on the open register. There was almost no money in it. Looking up, Kevin was nowhere to be seen. As it dawned on her that the Talon had been robbed in plain sight, she slammed the register shut and began looking around. She'd just spotted Clark and Chloe - well, Clark anyway, since Chloe was so tiny she was hidden by the crowd - near the back door. She also spotted the back of Kevin's jacket as he fled the scene.

"HEY, STOP!" she yelled at full volume. "THAT GUY JUST ROBBED US!"

With that, she moved around the counter and made a dash for Kevin and the exit. Customers everywhere stopped what they were doing to see what the commotion was. Since they were looking at the front where the shouting had come from, nobody's attention was on the back door and Kevin.

Hearing her shout, Clark's attention went to where she was looking as she charged towards him with a face that portrayed both anger and determination. Eyeing the exit, he could see the door swinging but didn't see anybody. He didn't recall anybody walking in that direction as he'd been talking to Chloe only seconds earlier, but he recognised that Lois was on a mission and immediately jumped in to help.

"Wait here," he said to Chloe as he went for the exit. Opening the door and looking around, he just about caught the back of Kevin who was sprinting around the corner and into the alley.

Clark realised that people might be watching so super-speeding or using any powers was out of the question. If Kevin was stopped by a freak occurrence, it would be awkward to explain what had happened.

He called out, "Hey!"

Kevin turned around quickly, looking Clark in the eye. Before Clark knew what had happened, Kevin had raised his hands and sent two sharp bursts of green energy into Clark's face, sending him stumbling backwards into the wall beside the door. He landed in a heap on the ground, dazed and unsure what had happened. Kevin carried on round the corner.

Within seconds, Lois had come charging through the door, spotting Clark as he lay there. She didn't stop to see how he was as all her attention was focussed on catching the thief. She took off to head round the corner.

Kevin had run to his yellow truck and jumped in, quickly firing up the engine and putting his foot down on the gas. Looking this way and that to see if he'd been spotted, he just about managed to slam on the brakes in time as he spotted Lois right in front of him. She was raging as she walked up to the driver's door and yanked it open.

In a panic, Kevin raised his hands and sent a continuous beam of the same green energy he'd used on Clark. The force of the energy was so strong it lifted Lois off her feet and launched her into the chain link fence behind her as a flood of memories flashed through her head: the hectic morning at the Talon; wearing a gaudy pink dress at the high school prom; in tears while arguing with her father on the phone; being stuck in the back of a trailer with Lucy after being taken hostage by a Swiss loan shark; Shelby sitting there staring at her and cocking his head as she sipped her coffee at breakfast; out-drinking the frat boys on campus at Met U; finding Clark holding the dead body of Alicia; singing with Chloe at the Talon on karaoke night; waking up in the Kawatche caves wearing a slutty outfit; watching Clark make the decisive play in the closing seconds of the championship game; watching Clark make out with a slutty high school cheerleader; dunking Clark; reading her first article for the Torch and feeling proud of her efforts; being told by her father that she had to retake her final high school semester; finding Chloe alive; evading a bunch of stormtroopers and a helicopter in a field; Chloe's grave; meeting Martha Kent; Clark lifting her up and moving her aside effortlessly at the hospital; staring at Clark Jr. for a couple of seconds; finding a naked Clark Kent in a field; sneaking out of the army base in her dad's SUV.

Like Clark, she'd landed in a heap on the ground but unlike Clark, she'd been knocked unconscious. Kevin put his foot down and escaped, leaving just a trail of dust and tyre smoke.

Chloe had been standing in the Talon while it all unfolded outside. After seeing Clark head for the exit shortly followed by an irate Lois, she decided to see what was going on. Surely Clark must have caught the culprit. After all, with all these abilities of his, it ought to have been a cinch. So it was with a shock that upon opening the door, she saw Clark sitting against the wall rubbing his head and looking dazed. She rushed up to him.

"Clark! Clark! Are you alright? What happened?"

Clark's response sounded every bit as confused as his face looked. "I uh, I don't know."

Chloe frowned. "Where's Lois?"

Clark's face told her that he didn't have a clue. She helped him get back to his feet, and doing so seemed to clear the cobwebs a little as the confusion slowly ebbed away. He blinked and looked around but he had no idea why he was standing at the back of the Talon near the alley. Chloe had already moved towards the alley, just about catching the dust and tyre smoke in the air. Looking to the far side, she spotted a figure slumped down by the fence.

"Oh no. Lois!" Chloe dashed to her stricken cousin, crouching down beside her and touching her face. "Lois!"

Clark followed Chloe out into the alley and ran over to her and Lois.

"She's been knocked out, Clark," said Chloe, with the worry evident on her face.

"Chloe, I don't know what happened. The last thing I remember was Lois saying she'd been robbed, and then waking up when you came over. I didn't see anybody."

They both heard Lois starting to stir.

"I need to go back in and tell the girls to man the fort. Clark, you should stay with Lois. I'll be back in just a second."

Chloe made her way back through the door and into the Talon as a group of people stepped outside to see what was going on. Clark crouched down by Lois as she woke up and blinked her eyes.

"Lois! Lois, are you alright?" he asked.

Lois looked up. The images were blurry at first but as her eyes began to focus, she could make out the shape of a figure leaning over her. It was a man's voice, and he sounded concerned as he kept asking if she was alright. She could now see the man clearly even though there was now a dull throbbing pain in the back of her head, but she didn't recognise him. The man's eyebrows pinched together as he frowned. She started to appraise him. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. The sunlight behind him framed his face like a halo and his concern over her well-being made him positively angelic and even more attractive. _Wow!_

As Clark helped her to sit up, she turned to him and asked, "Am I in heaven?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

Having informed the other waitresses that Lois had been knocked out, they readily agreed that they could handle things until Lana came by later that afternoon. The place would become quieter as the day wore on but today was going to be even more hectic as they were down by two.

Chloe walked back out into the alley to when Clark and Lois were. Lois was now sitting up and looking somewhat groggy.

"Clark, the girls are going to cover for Lois and-"

She didn't have a chance to say much more as Lois was next to pipe up. She looked at her cousin with a mixture of shock and awe as she slowly got to her feet.

"Oh my god! Chloe, is that really you?"

"Hey you're awake. Are you OK?" replied Chloe with evident relief.

Lois stepped over to Chloe. Her eyes were now watering and her voice had caught in her throat.

"Chloe, you're alive! But…how?"

She pulled Chloe into a tight hug and began to cry. She believed her cousin had been killed while in witness protection and had resolved to find out what had really happened after learning that the FBI were going to close the case and deliver a verdict of accidental death. A safe house being obliterated was not an accident. Yet now, her cousin was here, real, and alive and well by the looks of things. It was a miracle.

"Lois hey, I'm fine. Are you sure you're alright?"

"But…but…you were dead! How…what…how?" Lois spluttered through her tears, not hearing Chloe's own questions as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

Chloe and Clark both glanced at each other and then at Lois. Chloe knew her cousin wasn't the most outwardly emotional of people but for Clark, this was something entirely new. He had never seen Lois this way, not even when he knew she was upset over what her sister Lucy had done a few weeks ago. Not only that, but Lois was talking about events from months ago as if they were happening now.

"Uh Lois, you and Clark found me, remember?"

Lois looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings plus the handsome stranger standing beside her. Her now-not-dead little cousin was suddenly the least weird thing ever.

"Where am I?"

"The Talon," replied Chloe as if it were obvious. "You came running out here chasing after somebody you said had robbed the place."

Lois looked at Chloe with more than a hint of confusion as she wiped her eyes. "Huh?"

It then dawned on Chloe that Lois might have hit her head and was suffering from amnesia.

"Whoa, Lois. I think you might have hit your head. You were serving customers when somebody stole money from the register. You went chasing after them, and I found you lying here unconscious."

Lois confusion wasn't helped any by this new information. None of it made any sense.

"Serving customers? As in, I _work_ here? How can that be? I'm starting Met U in a couple of weeks."

Both Clark and Chloe looked at each other again. Lois was talking as if she'd never been here before. Chloe gently took Lois by the arm and headed back inside. Clark followed, trying to work out exactly what had happened.

As they stepped inside, the Talon was still very busy. Lois looked around and didn't recognise the place at all. It was garish yet at the same time miles better than the usual coffee chains. Where in Metropolis were they?

"So you're saying I sling coffees part-time?" enquired Lois, eyeing the coffee machines behind the counter and wondering how they worked. She'd never used one before.

Clark decided to speak and upon hearing his voice, Lois gave him her full attention. "Lois, my mom helps run the place and you work a few shifts here. What's the last thing you remember?"

Lois thought about it. "Uh, I think I was back at the base staying with my dad. I read a newspaper article saying the FBI were closing the case into Chloe's death in a few weeks, and I was going to come to Smallville to check it out. Chloe, you left a video for that friend of yours, Clark, asking him for help. I remember watching that video."

Clark's eyes widened at the mention of his name. She clearly didn't know who Clark was but not only that, she'd just explained exactly how she came to arrive in Smallville. Clark knew Lois had come to Smallville to investigate Chloe's death but she'd never mentioned what had prompted her. Almost as soon as he'd recovered from his own amnesia, the two of them had begun the to-and-fro verbal sparring and bickering that defined their unique friendship so the exact details of how Lois was prompted to come to Smallville had remained a mystery. When she'd found him in the cornfield that night, she didn't realise he was the person she was looking for.

"Uh Lois, you're _in_ Smallville and _this_ is Clark," answered Chloe.

"You're Clark Kent?" asked Lois, to which Clark nodded, smiling. Lois looked him up and down as her expression changed from befuddlement to something approaching hungry eyes. "Well I have to say, my cousin was right about you."

Clark was a bit disturbed by that as it reminded him of the time Lois was possessed by the spirit of a 17th century witch. She'd lustily given him the once over back then too, during Chloe's birthday party. Thinking back, Lois had looked at him in a similar way when she was possessed by the spirit of the school's queen bitch Dawn Stiles, coercing him into escorting her to his own high school prom. He had to wonder what she might have done if she'd drank that love potion-laced sports drink like Chloe once did because it seemed that Lois was all over him when not her usual self. Right now, she was clearly not her usual self but this time it appeared to be down to amnesia rather than being under some spell.

Chloe in her embarrassment avoided eye contact with Clark. This was a little titbit which was supposed to be a secret between the two cousins, just your typical girl talk, not to mention the fact Lois was suggesting she was in total agreement about Chloe's description of Clark. Lois found Clark hot too? She needed to get Lois home so they could talk in private and figure out what was going on. She also considered taking Lois to hospital if Lois started displaying symptoms which required looking at properly.

"Clark, I think I should take Lois home. Will you be alright to wait here until Lana gets back?" she suggested, hinting that he didn't really have a choice. He would probably only have to wait for another half an hour or so but Chloe felt it best to get Lois away from the hustle and bustle of the coffee shop.

"My parents are out in Metropolis for dad's heart exam. They're not due back for another couple of days." Digging out his keys, he handed them to Chloe.

With that, Chloe led Lois back outside and to her car. Lois glanced back and smiled at Clark. It was a sultry smile and that disturbed him too.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

On the drive back to the Kent Farm, Lois was oddly quiet as she studied her surroundings. Chloe had filled her in on a few missing details including how she was still alive, but the biggest 'news' was that Lois had come to Smallville and stayed for the best part of a year. Why? She was living at Chloe's friend Clark's house too. Why? The car pulled up to the house and Chloe switched off the engine.

"I don't get it. Why would I come and stay on a farm? I like the big city," opined Lois, looking around the farm as they got out, taking in the farmhouse, the huge barn, the stables, the pasture and the vast open fields beyond. It smelled like a farm among vast corn fields with the scent of corn in the air along with grass, hay and animals.

"Lo, you came to Smallville High to get your missing high school credits. Then you left for Met U, and then you got kicked out for underage drinking," said Chloe.

Lois was stunned to learn that she'd got herself kicked out of university. The underage drinking part was nothing new as she'd had a rebellious streak for years - she had a nicotine addiction to show for it - but to fall foul of campus rules and get punished so severely came as quite a shock.

"So I'm working at a coffee house part-time but I'm not at Met U. What else am I supposed to be doing Chloe?"

Chloe wasn't sure how to answer that because she'd not really asked herself that question. Thinking about it, she really ought to have done. Lois had become a bit of a drifter.

"I'm not sure. I think you're still figuring it out. You have a knack for investigating stuff but you flat out refuse to go into journalism."

"Chloe, _you're_ the one who was born to be a journalist. As long as I can remember, it's what you've always wanted to do."

"And that's still true now. I run the high school paper for which you wrote a few articles to gain some extra credits, and I'll be starting at Met U soon. Hopefully I can land an internship at the Daily Planet too," said Chloe. It felt weird to be explaining stuff that Lois would already know.

They made their way into the house. Walking around the kitchen and looking at the family photos on the shelves, she saw the faces of Clark and his parents.

"Seems like a nice family."

Chloe smiled. "They really are. Clark's parents are like the blueprint for what good parents should be."

"They must be if they agreed to take me in too," said Lois.

Chloe chuckled and went to the fridge to take out the pitcher of lemonade, pouring two glasses and handing one over to Lois.

"Actually, it was Clark who offered first but after that, you sort of took over. He complains all the time about how you use up all the hot water."

Lois smiled at that because it was totally something she would do although she wondered if she was taking advantage of the Kent's hospitality a little too much. However, there weren't many things in life more relaxing than a marathon shower.

"Everything's so cosy here, it feels like home. I bet my bed is really comfy too. Better than my camp bed at the base," said Lois as she took a sip of her drink.

A voice at the door answered her. "Actually, you sleep in _my_ bed."

Lois almost did a spit take, turning to Clark while choking. Were the two of them like _that_? The light pouring in through the door again framed Clark's face like a halo.

Clark stepped into the kitchen grinning as he realised what she might be thinking. Lois with all her faculties intact would never think such a thing. "No Lois. You sleep in my bed and I sleep on the couch."

"Oh," Lois squeaked and cleared her throat.

Her face had taken on a shade of rouge indicating that she was embarrassed. Clark watched her and found it so odd that Lois of all people could be so shy and demure. She was always so brash and confident. There was something endearing about it as she looked - for want of a better word - cute. Then things got really weird when Clark explained that he'd told Lana what had happened before coming home for lunch as he walked to the fridge.

"I was going to make sandwiches with this leftover roast beef and salad if you guys are interested," he said while his head was in the fridge.

"Leftovers! Hey, why don't I fix us up something instead? After all, your parents have been so nice to let me stay here," offered Lois, spotting a jar of peanut butter on the counter beside the fridge.

Clark couldn't hold back a laugh as he turned back round. "You! _You_ want to make us lunch! Chloe, are you sure we don't need to take Lois to a hospital?"

"Oh come on," pleaded Lois, gently tapping Clark on the arm. "I don't need to go to a hospital. I hate hospitals. You spend hours waiting to be seen and they smell funny! I am quite hungry actually and while PB & J might be the best I can do - unless I learned some new skills these past few months - at least let me do my bit. Plus I could really use a nap afterwards."

Clark couldn't really argue with her logic. He knew she hated hospitals, and the rest might indeed do her some good. As sweet as she was being, he still had to contend with the idea of Lois preparing food. He winced as his mind went back to the mangled pancakes and burnt bacon she'd served up several weeks ago. He agreed hesitantly.

"Great!"

With that, Lois walked to the fridge and took out the necessary ingredients knowing it was the most likely place to find them. Clark grabbed the cutlery and plates and she proceeded to make sandwiches for the three of them. They really weren't bad at all although it's pretty hard to make a hash of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Her method was to make a triple decker with the middle slice coated with jelly on both sides, with the peanut butter spread liberally on the inside of the top and bottom slices.

After lunch, Clark said he had a couple of chores to take care of around the farm, leaving the two girls to spend some time chatting.

"Chloe, when you told me Clark was cute, I wasn't actually expecting a Greek god. How you ever get anything done with him around beats me," said Lois as they sat down on the couch.

Chloe smirked at that. "I think every girl has had the hots for him at some point, but he only ever has eyes for one girl - Lana Lang."

Lois had felt a pang of hope building up that Chloe might say something regarding the two of them but sagged in disappointment upon the mention of Lana Lang. She brushed it off.

"What's not to like. Tall, dark, fiendishly handsome, and works on a farm so probably has a body to die for. I'm not sure how I ever survived here."

Chloe laughed out loud, drawing the curiosity of Lois.

"Lo, clearly that is quite the bump on your head because you usually act like you can't stand him. Watching you two is like watching two siblings bickering. You usually give _him_ a hard time, and I'm getting pretty good at playing the peacemaker."

"I know I'm a bit of a handful at times, but why would I be so hard on him? Them puppy dog eyes of his would make anyone melt."

"But not you. I don't know what it is. You guys were just sort of like that from the off. I think you care about each other really but you try and hide it for some reason. Clark's an only child and when you moved in, I don't think he was expecting you to take over his bedroom, or use up all the hot water, or walk in on him while he was in the shower…"

Lois went red again. "I did WHAT?"

Chloe continued. "Nothing happened but Clark said his parents were mad at him. Clark is a private individual who likes his personal space, and his parents are also very protective of him. I have a theory as to why but I've not yet spoken to him about it. You kind of cramp his style and it bothers him. Plus, you always give him names like 'Smallville' or 'farmboy' and he thinks you don't see him as anything more than a dork."

Lois looked around the living room. "I can't see how I would think that. He seems to be anything but a dork."

"He can be a little bit dorky sometimes, but Clark is an exceptional guy and one of the kindest people I've ever met. He's always quick to offer help and never expects anything in return. He's a bit of a hometown hero and my best friend for a reason," said Chloe.

Lois envisioned Clark as some sort of comic book superhero. "Hero huh? Maybe he should come with a cape."

"He would laugh at the suggestion. But I gotta say, he is so much more expressive around you than he is with almost anyone else. He can get all withdrawn and clam up but you don't ever let him. I think that's why his parents are so happy to have you around. In your own way, you're good for him," Chloe explained.

Lois pondered what Chloe had said and it raised her own curiosity. There weren't too many people around who believed Lois to be a positive influence on anybody, yet a small family of farmers had embraced her and given her a roof over her head. Had she ever thanked them for their kindness or simply taken it for granted?

They heard a soft whine coming from the kitchen door. Looking over, Lois saw a golden retriever pad over towards her, tail wagging and eyes that begged for attention. Her face lit up.

"Hi! And who's this guy?" she asked while petting Shelby. Despite sneezing a couple of times due to her allergy, she was more than happy to pet such a friendly dog.

Chloe joined in the petting while answering. "This is Shelby. He used to be a lab dog and you found him one night on your way back here. Since the dog didn't have an owner and had grown fond of staying here, Mr Kent said you and Clark could keep him."

"Well Shelby, who wouldn't want to keep you, huh. You're gorgeous, buddy."

Shelby licked Lois' hand and cheek as she petted him, making her laugh as Chloe watched with interest.

"You normally find Shelby annoying because you're allergic. Seems to me that you and Shelby are a lot like you and Clark. You claim they both annoy you but looking at you now, I think that's just a front."

Lois had heard Chloe opine but her attention was still on the dog. Talking to Shelby in a baby voice she said, "You might make me sneeze a lot but I don't see how you could ever be annoying."

As much as Lois would have liked to learn more, she was feeling tired and yawned loudly. Chloe took this as her cue. She got up and showed Lois up to Clark's bedroom and the bathroom, and left her to get freshened up before taking a nap while she went back downstairs. Shelby had gone back to the barn to lie down on Clark's couch. During lunch, they'd told her that while she's resting, they'll head back to the Talon and find out if anyone knew anything so with that, Chloe went outside to find Clark. Soon afterwards, they both headed into Smallville.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Looking around, Clark noted that there were more waitresses than customers inside the Talon, which was a far cry from earlier. Lana was behind the counter chatting away to one of the customers, and the other was sitting in one of the side booths laughing and joking with one of the waitresses. Though there were several hours to go before closing time, it felt a lot like closing time already.

Chloe had retraced the steps from the counter to the back door, even walking outside and looking around the alley. There was absolutely nothing to suggest that anything had happened here. Lois had been found lying unconscious and was suffering from amnesia but she didn't have any physical marks to indicate she might have been involved in a scuffle. The whole thing was baffling, raising more questions than answers. Questions were being met with more questions. Stranger still was that nobody but Lois had seen the thief. She came back inside.

Clark was still feeling confused. "I just can't remember going out that door. All I remember is talking to you about Miami, and then waking up out there near the alley."

"So…you can't remember about a minute of your life, and Lois has forgotten nearly everything from this past year. You and Lois are the only ones who went after the guy who robbed this place, and both of you have been left with amnesia. I'm wondering if we're dealing with somebody with a new meteor power," offered Chloe grimly.

She had researched the meteor infected for years but after witnessing Clark using his abilities to catch a car in mid-air before speeding away, she felt that to dub them as freaks was unfair. Even the ones who went crazy. She had considered removing her Wall of Weird but after realising the burden and impact carrying such a secret had obviously had on Clark's life, she'd decided to leave it be and let it be a reminder to look for a more positive spin on stories involving those with special abilities. They were how they were because they carried a similar burden to Clark.

Just then, Sheriff Adams walked in. Seeing her, Lana came over to Clark and Chloe.

"Hey, I called the Sheriff to tell them about what had happened. I have to report it in case we put in an insurance claim."

"That's understandable. The trouble is, the only eyewitness is currently sitting at home with a severe bout of amnesia, and the one other person who might know something can't remember what happened at the time either."

"Are you guys sure Lois is OK? Maybe she needs to be checked out at a hospital," said Lana.

"Apart from her memory, she seems to be alright physically. She didn't want to go to hospital but I guess we'll just have to wait and see if anything changes," Chloe replied.

Sheriff Adams came over to speak with Lana.

"Miss Lang, just so we're clear, you're reporting a robbery took place right here in broad daylight in front of a packed house." She could barely hide her scepticism, and the weariness that came from knowing there would be follow-up paperwork didn't help her mood.

"Right, Sheriff. I wasn't here at the time but I called it in after Chloe and Clark filled me in on what had happened."

"This two-hen town has seen its fair share of strange goings on, and it seems Mr Kent and Miss Sullivan are never too far from the centre of it. Care to fill me in on what happened here?"

Chloe spoke up next and gave a full account to the best of her knowledge. "Uh, well, it was pretty busy. Clark and I had just walked in to grab a coffee, and that's when Lois yelled out that somebody had taken the money from the register. Clark saw Lois about to give chase so he went to help. He went out the door just before Lois. I went to see what was going on and I found Clark sitting just outside. He didn't know why he was there. I then went into the alley and I found Lois unconscious. She's at home right now and she has no memory of the past 9 months."

"I see," said the Sheriff. "And you Mr Kent, do you happen to have a description of the suspect?"

Clark felt himself shrinking with helplessness. He didn't really want to answer the Sheriff but he knew he had no choice. "No. I don't remember going after anybody. I can't remember what happened."

"So Miss Sullivan, that leaves you as the only person who can confirm a robbery took place, and yet you didn't see the suspect yourself. I may be little old in the tooth but I know that duck don't hunt."

"We're not making it up. You can speak to Lois if you like but I'm not sure she can tell you anything right now. We left her at home to take a nap. I'm hoping it clears the cobwebs because she'll be able to describe the thief for you," said Chloe.

"Sheriff, the other girls confirmed that the money had been taken. And there was no money on Lois when she was found in the alley," Lana added.

The Sheriff was still looking sceptical. "I have to be able to rule your friend out, so I need to be sure she didn't empty that register and hand over the money to an accomplice."

Chloe leapt to her cousin's defence. "Lois would never do something like that. I know everybody she knows here, plus she lives with the Kents at the farm. She would never do something like that to Mrs Kent, or to Lana."

"I may well need to speak to her at some point just to confirm that. If either of you can add any more, you be sure to keep in touch now, you hear?" said the Sheriff sternly.

She motioned for Lana to step aside so they could talk privately, leaving Clark and Chloe by the counter again.

Clark looked around the near-empty Talon hoping for some sort of clue. He had nothing at all to go on. Peering at the display of muffins and cakes at the bar, he suddenly felt his x-ray vision kick in. Within a second, he was looking through the display and beneath the counter at the floor. He spotted a card of some sort. Stepping idly around the counter, he bent down to reach under the mat and picked it up.

Walking back to Chloe, he showed her the card. "I think we might have our first clue. I found that under the mat."

Chloe took the card and looked at it before looking behind the counter at the black mat.

"Clark, how did you even see it?"

Clark realised he had to make up an excuse pronto. "Uh, it was sticking out. Maybe it belongs to one of the waitresses, or maybe the thief. There's no name on it. Do you think you can find out who it belongs to?"

Chloe had a quizzical expression on her face. When she's looked around earlier, she hadn't spotted anything sticking out from under the mat. She looked at the card again. "I think that part should be easy."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

Clark got back to the farm in the early evening and saw the light on in downstairs. Stepping into the house, Lois was on the couch watching _M*A*S*H_ reruns and petting Shelby who was lying on the couch beside her. Upon hearing Clark walk into the room, Shelby leapt off the couch and over to him.

"Hey boy," he said as he petted the dog. "Hey Lois, how you feeling now?"

Lois looked over at him and smiled. "Better actually. I still don't have my memory back, but this little guy is stopping me from worrying about it."

"Well, he'll be glad to hear it. You normally complain that he makes you sneeze all the time. I guess you like Shelby after all."

"Yeah. It's just like I said to Chloe. How could you not love a dog as cute as him?" said Lois before adding, "It was really nice of your parents to agree to keep him after I'd found him."

Clark had to smirk as he decided to fill Lois in on how Shelby came into their lives.

"Actually Lois, you didn't find him. You hit him with your car."

Lois' jaw dropped in shock.

"Don't worry. He didn't seem to be hurt and we had him checked out by the vet who gave him the all clear. He was an experimental dog who escaped. Lex didn't know the company was experimenting with dogs but when I spoke to him, he said he didn't mind if I kept Shelby because he would have either had to find him a new home or have him put down. Mom and dad agreed that we could keep him."

"We?" asked Lois. "Your parents included me in that decision?"

"Yeah," sighed Clark wearily. "They were happy to have you staying here and they'd become fond of Shelby too."

Lois noticed his tone of voice and was reminded of what Chloe had said about her bickering with Clark all the time.

"You not so much, huh? I mean, by me staying here."

Clark nodded, hands in pockets. "You have your moments. Lois, you have a tendency to do what you want when you want. It's why I can never find my stuff in my own room, and why there's never any hot water when I need a shower after my chores, and why I always find the cereal box empty when I want some cereal."

"OK, maybe I do all those things. But having me around can't be _that_ bad, can it?"

Clark grimaced, implying that it could be that bad sometimes. Lois felt the need to change the subject.

"Well, I think I need to take a shower right now. Don't worry, I'll leave some hot water Clark."

Clark nodded. As Lois was heading up the stairs, he called out. "Mom left some fried chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner. I can warm that up or we can order a pizza or something if you prefer."

Lois stopped on the staircase. "Chloe tells me your mom's food is the best in the state. I might regret missing out on it if I choose takeout."

* * *

While Lois was in the shower, Clark took the opportunity to head over to his loft. He was still tackling the problem of finding all the Kryptonian stones and hadn't been paying much attention to it lately, what with school, the farm, his on-off relationship with Lana, his on-off friendship with Lex, as well as Chloe's recent strange comments to him. He couldn't work it out but she was being very cryptic over something she knew. He wasn't going to be hypocritical and try to prise it out of her given how much he'd been guarding his own secret, but he had a suspicion that she might know something about his secret.

Tonight wasn't the night for pondering all of this though because his normally loudmouthed house guest was suffering from amnesia after an incident that had also robbed him of part of his memory. Who was this person? Were they a meteor freak?

Stepping back into the house and knowing Lois' penchant for marathon showers, he figured he had ample opportunity to head into his room and get changed. Removing his shirt as he walked up the stairs, he saw Lois step out of the bathroom while towelling her hair as she made her way into his bedroom. They both stopped as neither had expected the other to be standing there - Clark shirtless and Lois in just her bra and panties. They both gulped.

Clark had always made a point of staying out of Lois' way when she was using the bathroom, especially after she'd walked in on him when he was in the shower. Both had an agreement to avoid going near the bathroom when the other was using it, just to avoid mishaps. As a consequence, he'd never actually seen Lois - even by accident - in just her underwear. He knew she had an eye-catching figure from her regular clothes but this was something new and unexpected. It wasn't a vision that was ever going to leave his head now he'd seen it - all tanned skin, curves and cleavage. Beneath the tomboy veneer and the bravado was a stunning young woman.

He cleared his throat. "Lois I'm sorry. I thought you'd still be in there."

"Don't be sorry," she replied, equally nervously. Looking at his upper body and taking in the muscular chest and abs she commented, "I can tell farm work really is good for keeping in shape."

"Right. Well I'll just change into my t-shirt and I'll be out of your way. I'll get dinner on if you're hungry."

Lois smiled and nodded as he went to grab his t-shirt before leaving her to it. Unbeknownst to them, they'd each been taken aback at the sight of the other wearing so little clothing.

* * *

They sat at the table eating and Lois loved the fried chicken, even commenting about how much better the reheated and less crispy leftovers tasted compared to the ubiquitous fast food chain variants. She thought she could demolish an entire bucket of Mrs Kent's chicken, it was that good. Clark told Lois about the card they'd found and that Chloe would check it out at school in the morning. He also suggested Lois come along so she wasn't cooped up in the house all day.

"If anyone can find this person, Chloe can. My cuz is a computer whizz. Although I still don't get how somebody can just make your memories disappear like that."

Clark felt he ought to explain a few things about Smallville.

"Well, for that you need to understand a few things about this place. In 1989 as you might know, Smallville was hit by the world's biggest meteor shower. Some of the meteor rock is still lying around and a few people were affected by it in an unusual way. They suddenly developed the ability to do unbelievable things so the idea of one of them being able to make your memory disappear isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. When you speak to Chloe tomorrow, make sure she shows you her Wall of Weird. She can explain this theory better than I can. It might even jog your memory."

"Were you one of the ones affected Clark?" she asked, intrigued.

He nearly choked on his water. He couldn't very well explain that he came to Earth with the meteor shower. "No, none of us were. A lot of the people that were affected went a bit crazy, even homicidal. Chloe refers to them as 'meteor freaks' because of how much trouble they caused."

As they finished, Lois offered to help clear up, to Clark's surprise.

"Don't tell me, I never clear up either? Wow, I must be a real pain in the ass!"

Clark smirked and nodded in agreement, causing Lois to retort.

"I'm used to clearing up from looking after my sister. And anyway, just because I lost my memory doesn't mean you get to take advantage of me. I can still kick your ass if I need to!"

"The old Lois is slowly coming back then!" said Clark, so Lois socked him on the arm playfully.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

"So this is the Wall of Weird then?"

Lois stood staring at the myriad newspaper cuttings, copies of police records and photographs that Chloe had posted onto one wall at the Torch. The whole thing was downright bizarre and left Lois wondering if she'd accidentally stumbled upon the freak capital of America.

Chloe looked up from her computer. "Yeah, I have a fetish for the weird and unexplained. For a small town, Smallville is a pretty eventful place."

"I don't know, Chlo. Looking at this makes me wonder if there are aliens living among us. Maybe that meteor shower brought a bunch of human-looking creatures with special powers that just love the farm lifestyle. Did you find anything?"

"Maybe. Check it out. Kevin Grady, lives right here in Smallville and by the looks of things, he loves a bit of off-road biking."

Lois walked over to the computer to look at the image. It was a profile page showing Kevin as a member of the motor cross club. He was the same age as Chloe and lived in a small rural hamlet between Smallville and Metropolis.

"How did you find that?" asked Lois.

"Let's just say I have some skills and leave it at that," Chloe replied, before clicking the mouse to bring up another window that showed the website for Grand View Motor Cross Park. The site had numerous pictures of bikers in motor cross action, plus several group photos. Kevin could easily be identified in these when comparing the images to his membership profile.

Lois peered closer, hoping for a pang of recognition. She came up blank. "If that is our guy, I don't know. Maybe we need to find him and ask."

"I'm way ahead of you there, cuz. I was thinking of going over to his house to do just that. We should take Clark along in case things get a little heated."

"He can handle himself?"

"He doesn't look for trouble but yeah, he's really strong and can handle himself."

Lois pictured Clark's bare chest from the night before and flushed briefly. Chloe was still looking at the computer screen so didn't notice. There was no doubt in Lois' mind that Clark could handle himself.

"Clark will still be around somewhere. What say you and I go find him?" suggested Chloe.

The two of them left the Torch and headed out into the halls before coming to a stop as they spotted Clark talking to Lana beside her locker. Lois didn't recognise the girl but she felt her stomach lurch when she noticed how puppy-eyed Clark seemed to be when talking to her. Was she his girlfriend? Did he have a girlfriend? Was this that Lana girl who Clark only had eyes for? He'd not mentioned anything yesterday. As if aware of Lois' presence, Lana looked over to her and her face changed from nervous to inquisitive.

"Lois, hey. Clark told me about what happened yesterday. How are you feeling?" Lana then realised Lois was still suffering from amnesia. "I'm sorry, you probably can't remember me. I'm Lana."

Lois stifled a little wave of nausea at that confirmation. Not because she knew anything about Lana but because she was the reason Clark Kent was off limits. "Lana? From the Talon? Yeah, no, I'm still trying to get my memory back. Chloe tells me I was a senior here for a few weeks."

The bell rang and Lana sighed with relief as she had an excuse to get away from Clark's puppy dog look. Having earlier had an argument with her boyfriend Jason over her future plans, she'd come to school a bit rattled and when Clark had come over to talk, things had been very awkward. He was apologetic and unsure of what to say, and for the briefest of moments she wondered if he might ask if he could have another chance with her. Saved by the bell.

"Well, I'd best get going or I'm gonna be late. Lois, I hope you get better soon. I've already arranged cover at the Talon to give you some time."

With that, Lois, Clark and Chloe all watched Lana scurry away. Lois paid attention to Clark's expression of longing as he saw the tiny brunette disappear around the corner. Chloe was indeed right about how Clark only had eyes for Lana Lang.

Chloe sensed a bit of tension in the air and decided to change the subject to the relevant matter at hand.

"Oh, the Sheriff asked to speak with you. I know you can't remember anything but she wants to hear your story for her report," she said to Lois before turning to address Clark. "Hey, we found out who the card belongs to and we're on our way to check it out. You coming?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

Clark grumbled about the lack of legroom in the back of Chloe's car as they made their way over to Kevin's house. Lois had called shotgun much to his dismay and he found himself wishing he could use his super-speed without either of the cousins noticing. It didn't help that he'd had to squeeze himself over the front seat in order to get in given the lack of rear doors on Chloe's Beetle.

"You know, you'd have more legroom if you sat behind Chloe," said Lois, who was aware of Clark fidgeting in the back. She was beginning to understand why it was so tempting to give him a hard time.

"I think I'll live," he mumbled in annoyance.

Once they reached the house, Clark and Lois walked up to the front door while Chloe looked at the car on the drive. Clark rang the bell and Kevin's father answered, looking a little befuddled as though he'd just been woken from his slumber.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Sorry to bother you Mr Grady, but we're looking for Kevin," answered Clark.

Mr Grady looked at them both. "What's this about?"

Lois cut in. "Well, I'm missing about 9 months of my memory and we think your son might know something about it."

Clark interjected after noticing Mr Grady flinch, and decided a little more tact was required. He held up the membership card. "We found this card belonging to Kevin at the Talon. We just want to talk to him."

"My son is out of town at the moment."

Chloe walked up the porch. "And by 'out of town', you mean undergoing some kind of treatment at the Summerholt Neurological Institute. I'm sorry, I couldn't help but notice the parking pass on your windshield."

Mr Grady bristled at the intrusion into his family's private lives. "That is none of your business. Now if you'll excuse me."

He made to close the door but Clark held his hand out to stop him.

"Look, we don't know if he did anything, we just want to find out what he knows."

Mr Grady looked each of them in the eye as he pondered if he should tell them anything. He relented and opened the door a little more.

"Alright. Yes, my son is a patient at Summerholt. Last fall, I took both my boys hunting at Audrey Clearing. There was an accident. Kevin was holding his gun and…uh…I lost my son Dylan."

Clark and Chloe both looked at Mr Grady in sympathy but Lois stood there wandering what any of this had to do with her amnesia.

"Mr Grady, I'm sorry," Clark offered sympathetically.

Mr Grady continued to talk about how Kevin had struggled to cope after his brother's death, and about how he'd decided to get Kevin some treatment at Summerholt in a bid to erase these painful memories and be able to get on with his life. With that, he went back inside and closed the door, leaving Clark, Chloe and Lois to look at one another. Somehow they needed to find Kevin.

"I think we should go to Summerholt and see what we can find there," suggested Lois, heading back towards Chloe's car.

"Or maybe scope this place out first," suggested Chloe.

Lois stopped and walked back to the house, turning towards the gate at the side. Clark halted her by holding his arm out, which surprised her. Evidently he knew what she was like.

"You guys should head back to the Torch. The Sheriff wants to speak with Lois anyway. I'll stay here and see what I can find."

Lois raised her eyebrows at this. "And how do you plan on getting back? You came with us remember?"

Clark had to think fast and thought of the only thing that came to mind. "Uh…I can run back. I'm pretty fast and it's not that far really."

He could tell Chloe was staring at him. Chloe had witnessed his 'running' several months ago and was in no doubt that if he wanted to, he could beat them back to the Torch before they could even blink. She didn't say a word.

Clark moved to the side of the house and looked for a point where he could scale the fence while Chloe took Lois by the arm and coerced her back to the car. Lois was disappointed because amnesia or no amnesia, she loved to snoop around. Thinking it through logically, she accepted it was for the best that she'd didn't get involved because she already had one conversation pending with the local Sheriff, and she had no explanation to offer regarding the robbery in plain sight.

Unbeknownst to the cousins now sat in the car, Clark had been using his super-hearing and heard the sound of a rolling door being opened and keys being placed in the ignition of a vehicle. Once the key was turned, he heard an engine roaring into life. It was a motorbike, not a car. Leaping over the fence, he spotted the motorbike speeding away from the other side of the house towards the main road. Even if he could warn Lois and Chloe, they would never catch up in time. He used his super-speed to chase the motorbike as it raced down the road, at one point pulling up alongside to see if he could get a closer look. He didn't know what Kevin looked like but the rider was wearing an open-faced helmet and given the location and the sudden attempt to escape, it didn't take a genius to work out that the rider was the person they were looking to speak to. Kevin must have overheard their conversation with his father and made a break for it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

Back at the Torch, Chloe called Clark only to find he wasn't answering his phone. She wondered if he'd manage to unearth anything new that might help solve this mystery. There was also the matter of Mr Grady being evasive. He'd claimed an invasion of privacy when they began questioning him but Chloe's instincts were telling her something else. She just couldn't pin down what.

"Lo, please don't hate me but I need to head to Summerholt and you need to wait here," said Chloe while Lois was again looking at the Wall of Weird hoping to maybe find some more clues.

Lois turned around sharply. "What!"

"I can't take you to Summerholt before the Sheriff speaks to you. She thought you might have taken the money and handed it to an accomplice. Now I backed you up and said you'd never do such a thing, but she still had her doubts. If she can't find you when she wants to talk, she might think you really were in on it."

Lois was indignant. "So what am I supposed to do while I wait here?"

"I'm sorry! Look, it'll take me about an hour to get to Summerholt. If I find anything I'll call you. I'm leaving my email open so I can forward anything I do find if I get the chance. Clark should be here soon, and then there's the Sheriff," Chloe explained.

Lois sat down on the edge of the desk despondent. She really wanted to get to the bottom of this and sitting around waiting was not the done thing for Lois Lane.

Chloe tried to put a positive spin on the situation. "Lois, normally I would love it if you could join me in snooping around but for just this once, I need you to sit tight. Please?"

Lois relented somewhat reluctantly.

"Fine. You and Clark had better turn up with something though. It's not like I know where to go. I hardly know my way around these halls."

Chloe grabbed her bag and walked out of the office as Lois went back to the Wall of Weird and sighed. This whole thing was nuts.

"A girl who can control bees? Please, as if!" she scoffed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

The motorbike had come to a stop near a small barren patch of land within the bounds of the wooded area known as Audrey Clearing. There were signposts dotted around instructing visitors where to find the picnic areas as well as signs warning visitors about hunting permits and so on. Kevin dismounted and removed his helmet, looking around warily.

Clark had been following Kevin by listening out for the sound of the motorbike. When he realised the road led to Audrey Clearing, he suspected that Kevin might head there. It was a hunch based on little more than the nugget of information his father had provided about the accident. Once Clark was within 50 feet of Kevin, he hid behind the trunk of a large tree. His red jacket did not make for the best camouflage.

Kevin walked down towards a more shaded section of the woods before stopping and viewing his surroundings. Clark kept an eye from a safe distance and saw Kevin turning this way and that. He seemed edgy. Maybe he was waiting for somebody. What Clark didn't know was that Kevin was trying to fend off the headache he got every time he visualised the accident when he came back to the woods. Coming to the area again intensified the memories and the headache.

Kevin's mind was now projecting the events from that day. He could see himself and his brother creeping along - guns loaded and at the ready - as their father followed a few steps behind. He was whispering to them to take careful steps and listen intently. Their eyes darted this way and that as they sought their prey. Dylan was becoming a crack shot and Kevin wasn't too far behind. More practice would develop a steady hand and a smoother action when it came to taking aim and firing. Kevin had the keener eye of the two brothers and was usually the first to spot the prey. It was a frequent source of the typical bickering between siblings of similar age as their competitive streak saw each claim to be better than the other.

The peace was shattered when Kevin stumbled on an exposed tree root and lost his footing. He heard a gunshot. His senses were bombarding his brain with sights, sounds and smells. It was so close - too close for comfort. It didn't sound right and he had yet to spot their prey. Had Dylan beaten him to the punch this time? Looking over to where Dylan was supposed to be standing, all he saw was the prone form of his brother sprawled amongst the leafy mulch. At first he assumed his brother had tripped too, then he'd maybe taken up a low shooting position, but Dylan was not holding his rifle. His face didn't have the intense concentration of the hunter. Instead, his eyes were glazed and staring at a specific spot on the ground. His face was spattered with blood. Kevin wasn't sure what had happened but when he turned to look behind him, he could see his father standing there staring in shock. Kevin's eyes went to his own rifle from which he could see a small plume of smoke - the tell-tale sign that it had been fired. Had he accidentally fired his gun when he tripped? He really couldn't remember pulling the trigger. In any case, Dylan was to his right whereas he was sure he'd held his rifle facing down and to his left. Their father had taught them to ensure their weapons were always pointing away.

"Kevin."

Kevin's mind brought him back to the present instantly as he heard the unfamiliar voice calling his name. Turning his head sharply, he saw somebody both unfamiliar yet familiar. Unfamiliar in that he didn't know the tall young man in the red jacket, yet familiar because he knew this man had tried to intervene outside the Talon. He felt a wave of panic again, raising his hands and getting ready to fire another blast of the memory-wiping rays of green energy.

Clark raised his own hands in a defensive gesture, unsure of what Kevin was going to do. "No wait, it's OK. I only came here to ask you about Summerholt."

Kevin lowered his hands again. "You! You're the one outside the Talon. How come you remember me?"

"I don't. I can't remember anything that happened but I'm told something did. I found your membership card at the Talon and tracked you down," Clark explained carefully. He was also ready to super-speed away should Kevin decide to try wiping his memory again as in that one sentence from Kevin, it was clear that he was capable of doing that.

"Why did you follow me here? I don't have the money," said Kevin.

"I'm not here for the money. My friend chased you outside the Talon and she was found unconscious. When she came to, she couldn't remember anything from the past 9 months. I just want to know if you know anything about that."

Kevin looked surprised. He knew the friend Clark was referring to. "Wait, she lost _all_ her memories? You're only supposed to lose a couple of minutes."

Clark responded. "Look, your father told us about the accident. I know it's going to be hard, but is this where it happened?"

Kevin began to frantically search around, looking for clues in the woods as well as within his mind.

"It was somewhere here," and then whispering to himself, "somewhere here."

"Can you tell me what happened that day?" asked Clark, slowly moving closer to Kevin.

Kevin began recounting his memories of that fateful day. He described it exactly as envisioned moments earlier, only this time crouching down and approximating the position he was in when he spotted the prone Dylan.

"Did you fire the shot Kevin?"

Kevin pressed his hands to his temples and groaned, closing his eyes as his brain bombarded him with more memories.

"I was here, and Dylan was over there. I had the gun in my hands. It was smoking and I'd fired the shot."

Kevin then wailed in pain prompting Clark to ask what it was.

"I've been trying to block these memories out."

Clark realised this might have something to do with his treatment at Summerholt. Mr Grady had said they were trying to remove these painful memories but perhaps Kevin's mind was fighting that removal. Clark knew that Summerholt's memory programmes were brutal and invasive and he was wary of putting too much strain on Kevin. It was clear that the present situation was taking its toll on Kevin, but Clark needed to know what was happening so he could think about how they might resolve it.

"Maybe someone's been trying to block them out for you," Clark offered.

"No no, I saw the smoking gun," Kevin replied, getting more agitated.

"Do you remember holding the smoking gun, or do you remember someone telling you that?" asked Clark, sensing that Kevin was close to breaking point.

Kevin groaned again, falling to his knees and grabbing his head as his recollections of the day clarified. This new version was slightly different to the previous one. Here, the sights, sounds and smells were much more vivid. Much more like he was living it for real. He saw Dylan's prone form. He saw the tree roots he'd tripped on. He saw his father standing there almost pale with shock. He saw his own rifle beside him on the ground. He saw the rifle in his father's hands, gripped firmly and smoking from the end of the barrel. It was like an epiphany.

"I…I-I didn't do it! I didn't fire the shot! It wasn't my gun!"

Clark breathed a deep sigh of relief but then watched as Kevin put his hands to his face. He was crying.

"I didn't shoot him. My dad told me I did but I didn't do it. Why would he do that to me?" he asked, shaking.

Clark moved to Kevin and crouched down, his face full of sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Kevin."

Kevin removed his hands and looked up at Clark, confused. "I don't get it. I wiped your memory and gave your friend amnesia. Why would you want to help me?"

"Let's just say I know what it's like to be manipulated and not know reality from fiction. You lose a part of your life and it's scary."

Kevin began to stand up. "I'm sorry, about you, about your friend, about the money, about everything, but I don't know if I can help your friend. We'd need to break into Summerholt, and I don't know how to sneak you in there."

Clark offered the faintest of smiles. "I don't think that will be a problem. Look, come back to my place. It's not far and we can take my truck."

"How did you get here?"

"My friends gave me a ride. I live pretty close by, at the Kent farm. I'm Clark Kent," said Clark, using his 'trust me' face and extending his hand for Kevin to shake it. Kevin did, and the two made their way back to Kevin's motorbike.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

Chloe stood in the lobby of the Summerholt Neurological Institute. The vast modern steel and glass building on the outskirts of Metropolis almost halfway between the big city and Smallville was the state's largest research and treatment centre for brain injuries and associated complications. She didn't know what she expected to find here but her journalistic intuition told her that the answers were locked away in one of the many rooms through the door behind the reception desk. She'd watched as numerous doctors and Summerholt staff used their security passes to get in. To the right of the lobby was a corridor leading to various wards where the in-patients were housed, and Chloe felt it unlikely that she'd find answers there. No, behind the locked door was where any search might prove to be fruitful.

The only problem at the moment was the receptionist who kept glancing at Chloe suspiciously. She had an aloof demeanour about her and looked like she belonged to the cast of a 1980s soap opera with her excessive make-up and pointy shoulders. The hateful glare she had nailed down. Chloe avoided eye contact and pretended to be waiting for somebody, all the while looking around the lobby as well as outside at the parking lot.

"Can I help you?" asked the receptionist as Chloe was looking outside.

Chloe turned and replied, "Oh, I'm just waiting for my friend Kevin. He should be out soon."

With that, the receptionist went back to her task, all the while stealing glances at the little blonde in the brown coat. A minute or so later, the receptionist answered another call before getting up and opening the door behind her with her security pass. Chloe crept closer to get a better look through the open door. The receptionist had left it open while she did whatever she'd gone in the back for. Glancing around, Chloe saw that there was nobody watching so she made her way slowly through the door.

It was a corridor with a number of doors which may or may not have been offices. There didn't seem to be anybody walking around. Suddenly hearing the voice of the receptionist as she laughed at something being said by the person she was talking to, Chloe hid behind the open door. The receptionist had made her way out of one of the rooms and back out through the door to her desk, closing it behind her. She didn't see Chloe and hadn't noticed that the little blonde was no longer in the lobby.

Chloe continued to creep along the corridor, looking at the names on the doors. Some of the doors were offices and some were storage areas. All the labs and treatment rooms were elsewhere so this section must have been for administration. Just as she was passing one of the storage areas, she heard voices coming from further along the corridor. It was a man and woman engaged in conversation. The words were indistinct but getting louder so Chloe realised they were heading in her direction. Across the corridor, the sign on the door said 'Patient Archive'. Quickly shifting across, she tried the handle and to her surprise found that it opened easily. Before the two people could spot her, she entered the room.

The room had several desks and computers arranged down the centre and the computers were on. That in itself was strange, but stranger still was how lax the organisation was about its data security. You apparently didn't need to log in to use these computers, and they were housed where patient records were being archived! The walls along three sides had shelves floor to ceiling, stacked with CDs, DVDs and folders. The shelves appeared to be organised by general area of expertise so Chloe perused the various stacks until she came across one titled 'Memory Reconstruction'. Incredibly, a disc with Kevin's name on it was at the front of one of the stacks so Chloe reached up and grabbed the disc.

Removing the DVD, she inserted it into the drive of one of the computers and it opened immediately. One of the files on the disc had been labelled 'Kevin Grady - Treatment Jan 05'. Chloe clicked on it and a media player opened up. The video showed Kevin being filmed while strapped to a device of some sort. The camera was pointed right in his face and both his forehead and chin had a harness attached to keep his head from moving. There was a contraption of some sort fitted over his head which was projecting an intermittent green light. He looked terrified and was only able to move his eyes from side to side in order to see anything. Chloe forwarded the video a little and was startled by what she was witnessing. Kevin was crying out in pain and tensing up as a green beam of light shone down on a spot in the middle of his forehead. If this was his treatment programme, it looked awful.

Stopping the video, Chloe opened up a dialogue box and dragged the file into it, entering her email address for the Torch beneath it. The file was downloaded to her email account back at the Torch. Dialling Lois' cellphone number, she informed her to check her email for the file that had been sent. Once Lois confirmed receipt, Chloe hung up and sighed. This was something that needed following up on at some point.

Just then, she felt a hand grab her from behind and pull her off the chair as another hand covered her mouth with a rag. Squirming frantically to free herself and unable to utter a sound, she felt light-headed all of a sudden as the chloroform on the rag took a hold. She was out in seconds.

* * *

Lois was bored beyond belief. She'd long since stopped staring at the various cuttings on the Wall of Weird. She skimmed through various past issues of the Torch and had come across a couple of articles she'd apparently penned, liking the one about cosmetic surgery. It was a surprise that she could write such a thing as there was a journalistic flourish to it she didn't realise she had. Maybe it was Chloe's magic touch with the editing pen. Browsing the internet for information on amnesia had become boring. Also, Clark hadn't come by as of yet.

The only thing that had broken the monotony was Chloe's call to say that she might have something. Lois had confirmed the email receipt and was about to open the file when her cellphone signalled an incoming voicemail. It was Sheriff Adams.

"Miss Lane, this is Sheriff Adams. Please call me back as I would like to speak with you."

How was this for timing? Lois looked at her phone and called the Sheriff back.

"Sheriff Adams? Hi, this is Lois Lane. I understand you want to speak with me?"

The Sheriff was in her car, driving while talking. "Well well, Miss Lane! I have a few questions about the robbery at the Talon. Where are you right now?"

"I'm at Smallville High. Uh, the Torch school paper. Are you coming over now?" asked Lois.

"I will be there in just a few minutes. Don't you go anywhere now, you hear?" She wasn't asking Lois, she was telling.

It was now a waiting game. Lois thought about opening the file Chloe had sent but it seemed prudent to wait until after she'd spoken to the Sheriff. It wasn't long before the Sheriff entered the Torch office having been directed there.

Lois explained what had happened to the best of her knowledge and the Sheriff recognised that she wasn't trying to be evasive. She genuinely had no idea what had happened.

"My cousin Chloe thinks she's found something though. She emailed a file about Kevin Grady's treatment at some place called Summerholt."

"Summerholt? There's a Dr Grady at Summerholt. Lives right here just outside Smallville," answered a surprised Sheriff Adams.

Lois clicked the file and the video of Kevin's treatment began to play as the Sheriff came round to watch it over Lois' shoulder. Kevin looked frightened and was attempting to free himself, without success. He was pleading with somebody to his left.

 _"You don't have to do this! I won't tell anyone, I promise! I won't tell them what happened. I know it was an accident. I know you didn't mean to."_

Lois sat there shocked while the Sheriff was confused.

"He didn't do it. Kevin didn't kill his brother!" exclaimed Lois.

"What is going on here?" asked the Sheriff to herself, still watching the video. She could recognise the voice of Dr Grady in the background, trying to reassure his son.

Lois turned to face the Sheriff. "We found a membership card belonging to Kevin at the Talon. We found out where he lived and went to speak to him. He wasn't there but his dad told us he was getting treatment at Summerholt to remove his memories of the accident where his brother died. He said that Kevin had accidentally let his gun go off. This video shows his treatment and I have to say, it's pretty brutal."

"Who's we?" asked the still confused Sheriff.

"Uh, me, Chloe and Clark," answered Lois without thinking. The Sheriff's face made her want to kick herself for blurting that out so easily.

"Kent and Sullivan. Always sticking their noses into police business," muttered the Sheriff, furious.

"Sheriff, is Kevin's father the one doing the treatments? You said he was a doctor there. Do you think he's trying to cover for himself? In that video, Kevin is being forced to protect someone else from taking the blame."

The Sheriff stood up and was weighing up the situation. She knew she needed to speak to Dr Grady but there was still the question of Lois' apparent memory loss.

"Miss Lane, what do you remember from yesterday?"

"Uh, I woke up in the alley next to the Talon. Before that, the last thing I remember was being back at the base with my dad, looking over articles about Chloe's death. The nine months in between? Chloe and Clark can tell you more than I can."

The Sheriff didn't understand. "Chloe's death? You mean the very much alive and kicking Miss Sullivan?"

"Yeah, I thought she was killed at the FBI safe house. She was in witness protection because she was going to testify against Lionel Luthor. I still don't know how but she got out. She told me that Clark and I found her."

The Sheriff started to think back to events of that time and wondered if her own memory was failing her. There was nothing in the police files about the safe house incident because the FBI had claimed jurisdiction from the beginning. All the Sheriff knew about the incident was whatever was reported in the Smallville Gazette. Had the FBI evacuated Miss Sullivan and staged the explosion because the safe house had been compromised? This was a question for another day but given the FBI's involvement, she suspected she might not get too far with any enquiry. She'd had more run-ins with the FBI over jurisdiction than she'd care to mention, and it was common for them to ride roughshod over small town law enforcement.

The Sheriff paced around the office as she verbalised her thoughts, and though Lois didn't know it, the Sheriff usually lost her mid-west mannerisms in such situations.

"I'm putting together the pieces here. Somebody robbed the Talon. You apparently saw who it was but can't remember because you lost nine months of your memory after giving chase. Mr Kent helped give chase but can't remember who he was chasing. You found a membership card and tracked down Dr Grady's son, and spoke to Dr Grady who said his son is undergoing treatment at Summerholt to erase a bad memory. Miss Sullivan knows what happened but never saw the culprit, and she's sending videos from Summerholt."

"That about sums it up, yeah."

The Sheriff sighed. "I don't get paid enough to chase dead ends and it seems like I'm at a dead end. Where are Kent and Sullivan right now?"

Lois had to think. "Well, Chloe should still be at Summerholt, and Clark…last I saw him was at Dr Grady's house."

"I think it's time to pay a visit to Dr Grady. I have a feeling he knows what's going on here."

Lois got up and grabbed her coat and bag, ready to join the Sheriff. The Sheriff stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"I'm coming with you. I have no way of getting around and I don't know where anything is," answered Lois as if it were obvious.

It was far from what the Sheriff wanted but having Lois tag along might have had the benefit of Lois' memories somehow returning. If that happened, she could tell the Sheriff what had happened at the Talon, and confirm that Kevin was the thief.

Lois and the Sheriff were heading towards Summerholt having first stopped by Dr Grady's house. There was nobody home so the Sheriff suspected Dr Grady might already have headed for Summerholt.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

Looking out at the fields from the loft of the barn, Kevin explained that his father worked long hours and was one of the top doctors at Summerholt. After the accident, his father had suggested that it would be better to erase the painful memories in order for Kevin to be able to get on with his life. Kevin had been very reluctant and was frightened that his own father was looking to cover up the truth. His father had actually gone to the trouble of spiking Kevin's coffee one morning, causing Kevin to become delirious. Calling in to work, he'd advised them that he was bringing Kevin in to commence with the agreed treatment programme.

As Kevin was classed as a minor, the procedure could be carried out on his father's authority. When Kevin had come to, he'd found himself strapped to a device that was going to rid him of those memories. It was extremely complicated to understand but in simple terms, the procedure isolated the triggers to certain memories in conjunction with the use of sodium pentothal. Kevin's father would ask a series of questions and monitor Kevin's brain waves to isolate the triggers. These triggers could be manipulated to remove the memories.

Kevin was reeling from the new-found knowledge that his father was actually replacing the memories by manipulating the triggers to recall the same events differently. It had been drummed into Kevin's mind that he was the one who'd fired the gun, thus accidentally causing Dylan's death. Kevin's reality was being blurred but it required hours of intensive treatment for the procedure to really take root. One of the upshots was that Kevin's body was absorbing huge amounts of energy from the liquid meteor rock being used with the device. He was able to expel some of this energy in short bursts and it had the same effect on others as it had on Kevin when he'd been strapped to the machine, albeit short-term.

For Kevin, the only real side effect was the frequent headache caused by his brain trying to cope with establishing reality versus fiction. It had turned a reasonably conscientious student into something of a rebel, and Kevin had been spending more and more time fixing and riding motorbikes and less on his school education. To fund his hobby and his passion was expensive and this is what had led him down the path of stealing. When he realised what a powerful weapon he was harnessing, he began using it to aid his criminal spree.

"My own dad, Clark! He was trying to change my memories so that no-one ever found out about what he'd done. Why would he do that to me?" asked Kevin as they made their way down the steps and out towards Clark's truck.

Clark thought carefully about his answer as he opened his door. "Maybe he couldn't live with what he'd done."

"Look at what I've done since then. Look at all the trouble I've caused."

"Kevin, only you can decide how and when to put all of that right. Right now, my main concern is getting my friend's memories back. I think the answer to both problems lies at Summerholt," said Clark.

Kevin calmed down a little. "Look man, I'm sorry about what happened to your girlfriend. I didn't mean for her to lose more than a couple of minutes. I'm not sure how that even happened."

Clark raised an eyebrow as he considered Kevin's insinuation about Lois. "She's not my…never mind. We need to get to Summerholt."

"I'll take my bike," said Kevin. Seeing Clark's frown, he added, "Don't worry, I won't ditch you. Do you know the way?"

Clark nodded so they left the farm and headed for Summerholt.

* * *

After parking his truck in a secluded spot behind Summerholt next to Kevin's bike, Clark and Kevin scaled the chain-link fence and moved quietly towards the building. There was a patch of grass which followed the slope of the path running down the side of the building, and it was a simple process to climb from there onto the rooftop of the nearest section of the building. It was convenient that there were no windows on that side so nobody would have seen them sneak over.

They reached a hatch door that led into the building but it had been solidly padlocked - doubly so in fact. Kevin began to look around to see if there might be another way in. His father worked here and he'd been here many times before so he had a rough idea of how to find his way around inside. Up here, the only way in was through the hatch as there were no doors anywhere. Clark had been glancing over at Kevin and when he saw Kevin a sufficient distance away and looking in a different direction, he pulled the padlocks apart using his hand with consummate ease, prying the hatch open.

The sound of scraping metal made Kevin turn around sharply and he moved back towards the hatch that Clark was crouching beside.

"Hey, wasn't that locked?" he asked.

"It was broken," replied Clark, not looking Kevin in the eye and instead pulling the hatch further open.

Kevin crouched down and moved to climb down the hatch using the ladder within. He knew it must have led to one of the many storage areas within the building. All the offices and labs had windows so a windowless space was either a storage area or maybe a ventilation shaft. The latter would not have a plain metal hatch with a padlock though. Clark followed Kevin down the hatch. They were now inside Summerholt.

Speaking in hushed tones after establishing his bearings, Kevin informed Clark that they needed to go down a flight of stairs from which they could reach the main offices. Around the storage area were shelves filled with large water cooler-sized containers of liquid chemicals. It wasn't clear whether these were cleaning products or whether they were used for treatment. Creeping along the far wall which led to another door, Clark began to feel woozy. Somewhere in this room was Kryptonite.

Kevin noticed Clark stop in front of him and wondered what might have caused him to do so. There was nothing obviously blocking his path.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

Clark was starting to get light-headed as the radiation from the Kryptonite began to impair his eyesight and balance. Hearing Kevin's question, he knew he had to make up an excuse.

"Nothing. Just a little claustrophobia. I hate dark, confined spaces," he lied. "You go ahead, I'll catch up."

Kevin nodded and headed for the door. Clark leaned against the wall gasping and clutching his stomach. He had to move or he was in trouble. Shuffling with his back to the wall, he inched his way towards the open door, and just as he reached it, he looked over to a row of shelves in the middle of the room. There were containers full of a glowing green liquid. The meteor rock had been liquefied. For what purpose? Summoning up the will to keep moving, Clark reached the open door. Crawling through, he closed it behind him. He could see Kevin about thirty feet ahead of him in the dimly lit corridor.

* * *

The Sheriff manoeuvred her patrol car into the parking lot and one of the reserved spaces close to the front entrance of Summerholt. Nobody would question a police vehicle's presence and if they did, Sheriff Adams would have a few words for them. Alongside her was Lois Lane, and she was no shrinking violet either.

As sceptical as she was, the Sheriff knew she had to consider the possibility that somebody linked to Summerholt was behind any robbery at the Talon. Kevin Grady's father was one of the doctors there and his son had been coming in for treatment after a traumatic event. The video she had watched showed a scared young man who was clearly being coerced into believing a different version of events to what had obviously transpired. She had a feeling that Kevin was yet another of those people in the town who'd been affected by the meteor shower, and that he'd found a way to manipulate peoples' memories. That would explain why he could steal money - if indeed that is what he'd done - and get away with it. Was his treatment at Summerholt related in any way?

Lois took out her cellphone and dialled Chloe's number again. Yet again it went to voicemail, and Chloe hadn't replied to the 3 other voicemails Lois had left, nor the one left by the Sheriff. Lois grew concerned that something wasn't right because Chloe always used to reply quickly whenever Lois would call her. She loved to chat to her cousin.

"She's still not answering. I know she was here because she sent that video from here."

"Leave it to me Miss Lane," warned the Sheriff. She called dispatch on her radio to inform them of her whereabouts and to request back-up. She knew she was likely to have to make at least 2 arrests. Lois walked off and headed for the lobby.

Walking up to the reception, Lois started asking about Kevin and his father in her usual brusque manner, getting short shrift from the snooty receptionist.

"Look, I've been mind-whammied and have no memory of the past 9 months. I need to see Dr Grady."

The receptionist wouldn't budge. "Look miss, if you'd just like to fill out this form, I'm sure we can arrange for an appointment."

"I don't think you realise how serious this is. Dr Grady has some questions to answer and I know my cousin is back there, so be a good girl and let me through that door," Lois ordered, getting more and more wound up.

By this time, the Sheriff had strolled over and heard how the conversation was going. She was used to dealing with uncooperative people and felt she had a handle on the situation. Before Lois could begin another tirade, she stepped in.

"Miss Lane," said the Sheriff before squaring her jaw and facing the receptionist. "Maybe they pay you enough to be rude, but I don't take kindly to non-cooperation. Sheriff Adams, Smallville PD. You _will_ let me through those doors to see Dr Grady."

The receptionist scrunched her face as though the Sheriff and Lois had offended her. She was still trying to straight-bat their enquiries.

"We would need to see a warrant, Sheriff Adams."

The Sheriff bristled with indignation at the receptionist's bravado. Leaning forward and lowering her voice while adding a hefty helping of sternness, she let the receptionist know in no uncertain terms that she _will_ cooperate. Within seconds, the tension around the desk had dissipated as the receptionist was forced to stand down. She shrunk back into her chair as the Sheriff glared at her - the air of superiority being replaced by worries about her job. Lois grinned smugly at her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

Chloe opened her eyes and adjusted to the light. Looking straight up, she could see two lights shining from something pointed at her face. One light was white and the other was green, and the object resembled a projector. She then realised her arms and legs were strapped down, and she couldn't turn her head because that had been strapped down too. She could only move her eyes and even then, it was difficult to see where she was. She was strapped to the same contraption that had been used on Kevin, and it sent a chill down her spine. She knew she was lying down on a metal table of some description because she could feel the cold metal which only added to the chill.

Swivelling her eyes to her left just beyond the projector, she could just about make out a figure sitting behind a bank of computers. It was Kevin's father. Behind him was a wall of columns seemingly running the full height of the room, ringed by flashing green lights. Swivelling the other way, Chloe could see more of the same columns running from floor to ceiling, at least twenty feet in height if she had to guess. On either side of the table stood a much larger and wider column.

"Just try to relax," said Dr Grady as he pressed some keys on his computer.

Chloe blanched as panic set in. She was trapped and at his mercy. What was he going to do?

"Mr Grady, what are you doing?"

"You've learned too much. I'll have to go back further than the last three days as I can't take that chance that you'll remember something. Think of it as a gift. Many experiences in life would be much less painful if we didn't have memories to haunt us or hold us back."

Chloe pleaded with him. "Please, don't do this!"

"This is a simple procedure to eradicate these memories. I assure you it is completely painless. We should be done in minutes," said Dr Grady without looking up from his monitors.

One of them was connected to the camera on the projector directly above Chloe's face - showing her increasing panic - and the other was connected to the group of sensors attached to the harness on her face, which recorded her brainwaves and brain activity, displaying them in a similar way to a CAT scan.

He pressed another button and the room began to echo to the sound of the machinery whirring into action. It was loud enough that one would have to speak at the top of their voice in order to be heard clearly, but not deafening. The rings of green on the large columns lit up even brighter.

Just then, Kevin stepped into the room. Seeing his father at the computers, he charged over and grabbed him by the lapels of his lab coat before Dr Grady had had a chance to react.

"Dad! You were going to let me think I killed Dylan! Were you just going to lie to me my whole life huh?"

Dr Grady looked fearfully at his son. Somehow, he'd rejected the treatment and had pieced together the whole story. But how?

"Kevin, just calm down. Your body is rejecting the treatment and you're having psychological issues. No-one regrets your brother's death more than I do."

Kevin was furious. As he made to grab his father's lapel more tightly and push him back, his father stepped to one side and in the process, Kevin's leg caught the side of the swivel chair behind him. Fighting to maintain his balance, he'd let go of his father's lab coat. The jolt was sufficient enough to cause him to fall over, knocking over a tray of vials and some paperwork that were sitting on the corner of the table.

Dr Grady seized the opportunity to fully activate the memory treatment, and Chloe flinched at the bright green light now being emitted by the projector above her. All she could do was close her eyes as it began sending a continuous beam of green energy down towards her forehead.

Clark burst into the room at super-speed through the same door used by Kevin moments earlier - the force of the air in his wake lifting Dr Grady off his feet and into the wall behind him, knocking him out. He collapsed onto the floor on his back. Clark leaned over Chloe as the green beam burst forth. It hit the back of his head before being sprayed out in different directions. Chloe looked up to see Clark's face inches from hers. His eyes were glazed and he seemed to be looking through her, not at her.

Clark got a visual of chasing after Kevin behind the Talon following the robbery, and saw Kevin raise his hands to send bolts of green energy right at him. He now knew what had happened to him yesterday but before he could think about the fact, he had to deal with the two large columns either side of the table Chloe was strapped to. They'd taken the brunt of the redirection of the green energy and had become dangerously unstable as a series of mini explosions ripped through them. The bases of the columns collapsed, sending them hurtling inwards towards the prone Chloe. He had less than a second to react and did the only thing he could, going by instinct. He raised his arms and caught the heavy columns in each hand, holding them above his head easily as he finally looked into Chloe's eyes. She looked appropriately stunned by this super-human feat of strength.

Unfortunately for Clark, he had a bigger audience as not only had Kevin turned around in time to see this happen, but Lois and the Sheriff had stepped into the room too. They were astonished at what they'd just witnessed and were stood staring in disbelief.

"Holy crap!", "God in heaven!" uttered Lois and the Sheriff in unison.

Clark turned to face them, smiling sheepishly as he addressed them. He'd been caught using his abilities. With a gentle push, he sent the two collapsed columns slamming into the walls on the side of the room. Misjudging the one nearest to Lois and the Sheriff, he then had to dash to nudge the Sheriff further aside and away from the falling column before scooping Lois up and away as the column crashed to the floor.

Lois blinked and looked up to see Clark holding her in his arms. It had happened before she even knew anything had happened, and it had confused the hell out of her. He was looking at her with concern similar to when she'd woken up in the alley. She could feel his strong arms supporting her with ease and thought it looked like the cover of a romance novel. It turned her on immensely.

"Wow! A girl could get used to this!" she breathed, biting her lower lip.

Clark's expression changed from concern to relief. "Lois, are you alright?"

"I'm more than alright Clark," she purred. "I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be than right here in your arms."

Clark's mouth opened in surprise. Lois was looking at him with that hungry expression he'd seen several times when she wasn't her normal self. He'd hardly had time to formulate a response when Lois leaned up and moved to kiss him.

Kevin had been watching all of this unfold and knew he had to do something to avoid facing awkward questions afterwards. He could eradicate the last couple of minutes of memories for everybody in the room, and that would give him a chance to escape. With that, he raised his hands and sent a small burst of energy at the Sheriff and another at his father who was beginning to stir. Looking up at Lois and Clark with their faces inches from one another, he sent a blast of energy in Lois' direction. Feeling that he owed Clark for understanding and then helping him, he chose not to blast Clark with a burst of energy. Kevin then made to leave the room via another side door, stopping to look back while out of view of everybody in the room.

As the beam of green energy hit Lois, it triggered the return of all those lost memories from the past 9 months - good, bad and annoying. Every single memory was restored. Of course, that meant…

"Smallville, what the hell are you doing? Put me down, now!" barked Lois. The change was like night and day. The old Lois was back and ready to tear strips off Clark judging by her facial expression.

Clark broke out of his stupor and set Lois down immediately. Chloe was still strapped to the table and her eyes looked this way and that as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. The Sheriff stood back up and took a confused look around the vast room herself. Amongst a phalanx of equipment that she wasn't at all familiar with, she could see Lois and Clark standing side by side, Chloe still strapped to the table, and Dr Grady lying on the floor to the side, groaning.

"What in the hell?" said the Sheriff to herself.

Lois was probably the most lucid at this moment. "Look alive Smallville, and help me untie Chloe!" she ordered, stepping over to do just that, unbuckling the straps on Chloe's legs as Clark angled the table back to a horizontal position.

Clark looked over to the far corner and could see Kevin watching. He was out of view of everybody else and only Clark knew Kevin had been on that side of the room. Kevin merely smiled and with a hint of a nod, walked through the door behind him and out of the treatment room. He would never set foot in there again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

The Sheriff had finished taking statements from Clark, Lois, Chloe and a number of Summerholt employees as Dr Grady was being handcuffed and escorted away from the premises by two police officers. He'd confessed to the treatment programme on his son and about what had happened in the woods the previous summer. He admitted to attempting the memory treatment on Chloe against her will but couldn't remember what had gone wrong due to being knocked unconscious.

Clark told the Sheriff about how he'd found Kevin at Audrey Clearing and spoken to him about what happened there the previous year. He said he came to Summerholt by himself after Kevin told him his father worked there as one of their foremost doctors. He described bursting into the room just as the columns were collapsing, pulling Lois to one side to ensure they didn't land on her.

Lois had filled the Sheriff in on what she'd seen the previous day at the Talon, giving an approximate description of the thief which bore very little resemblance to Kevin Grady, the actual thief. The Sheriff gave short shrift to Lois' suggestion of how to mete out justice and told her that while the police would deal with the matter, following up petty crimes required more time and manpower than the Sheriff had at her disposal. Lois had to concede that it was unlikely anything would come of this.

Chloe described how and why she'd snuck into Summerholt and found the record of Kevin's treatment, apologising for taking the records without permission. The Sheriff admonished her for getting herself into trouble by trying to do the police's job but she was thankful that Chloe's intervention had led to the uncovering of a more serious matter.

Chloe and Lois were giving their statements as Clark stood to the side, looking around the lobby. He glanced to his left at the corridor and spotted a figure in a leather jacket step through a side door and make to sneak off down the corridor. It was Kevin. He followed Kevin down the corridor, calling out to him.

"Hey Kevin, wait up," Clark called out.

Kevin stopped and turned around. "Clark, hey."

"Running away again?"

Kevin nodded. "It's probably for the best that people don't ask too many questions. My dad's going into police custody, and I need time to get my head around things and start putting things right."

"Look, I can't tell you what you should do but I did want to thank you for what you did back there. Lois' memory seems to be fully restored. She's back to her usual charming self," he deadpanned.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I caused you guys so much trouble. Between you and me, I could use some work on my timing. Seems like I interrupted a moment between you two," said Kevin.

"Moment?" asked Clark, confused.

"Well yeah. Pretty girl in your arms making eyes at you," Kevin offered by way of explanation. "Anyway, I'm glad your girlfriend is back to normal."

Kevin stepped forward to shake Clark's hand.

"Thanks for the chance at a clean slate Clark. See ya around."

Kevin turned and made his way down the corridor, leaving Clark speechless. That was the second time Kevin had intimated that Lois was Clark's girlfriend. She'd been acting strangely without her memories, and he _had_ held her in his arms while she gazed up lovingly at him. To anyone watching, what else were they supposed to think?

He slowly came back into the lobby as Chloe and Lois were waiting to leave. The cousins headed towards Chloe's car in the parking lot as Clark said he was fetching his truck. With that, they all made their way back to the Kent Farm.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

"Oh come on you damn mutt, get off!" complained Lois as Shelby made to lick her hand as she attempted to shoo him away. Her memories had returned, triggering the return of epic sneezing fits and her annoyance with the dog. Shelby ignored her and continued to play. Chloe and Clark were sat on the couch in the loft, laughing. It was only yesterday that Lois was going ga-ga over the family pet.

"Lois, why don't you just admit you love Shelby. He knows it already, and clearly he thinks the world of you," said Chloe.

"Please! I do not love this walking hairball!" replied Lois adamantly, stifling another bout of sneezes and wiping her nose with a tissue.

"Hmm. The lady doth protest too much," said Clark. He was getting a kick out of Lois' annoyance.

"And you! What was I doing in your arms anyway? You'd better not have tried anything while I was _Memento_ 'd by that Grady kid," she retorted.

Clark felt a snarky comeback was in order. "Lois, I had amnesia once before and I didn't try anything. Memory or no memory, I don't think that's gonna happen, which is more than I can say for you!"

"Right! Next you'll be telling me I made a pass at you. In your dreams, Smallville!"

Chloe and Clark looked at each other, and Chloe gave the tiniest nod so Clark took his cue to fill Lois in on her history over the past 9 months.

"Let me start from the beginning. When you found me in that cornfield, I believe your exact words were 'Look at his face!' I know for a fact you did not just look at my face. Your eyes went a little south of there."

Lois' eyes went wide and her mouth had blurted out a response before she'd engaged her brain. She wished she'd kept quiet.

"You heard that?"

Chloe was intrigued. This was a story she was unfamiliar with because Lois and Clark had been bickering buddies from the first moment she'd seen them together. This anecdote suggested something altogether different.

"What did you-?"

"He was naked when I found him in that field Chloe," said Lois as her mind wandered back to that rainy night and the billion stalks of corn. She _had_ looked a lot further south of his face. For several seconds.

Clark was on a roll so he felt no embarrassment about sharing that little anecdote. "The next day, you walked in on me while I was in the shower. I told Chloe about that one already."

Lois was beginning to squirm and blush.

"At Chloe's birthday party when you guys were possessed by witches, you eyed me up and down and told me you loved the view," Clark continued.

Lois didn't know where to look.

"You insisted on me taking you to my own high school prom. You bought that pink dress, did your hair up and made me pin that ridiculous corsage on you. It was only later that night that I found out you and everyone else had been possessed by Dawn Stiles. I didn't cotton on immediately because I thought you were just being your normal bossy self."

Lois needed to gain some traction in this one-sided discussion. "What's your point?"

Clark stood up. "My point, Lois, is that when you aren't able to hide behind your attitude, and when you aren't yourself, you can't keep your eyes off me. When you lost your memories, you were all over me. At Summerholt, I had to pick you up before that steel column came crashing down on you, and that's why you were in my arms. At that point, you got all your memories back. Face it Lois, I've never made a pass at you."

Lois bristled at the insinuation that she wasn't good enough for Clark to make a pass at. "That's because you don't have the guts, but mainly because you only have one type, and that type's name is Lana."

All of a sudden, they both stopped bickering and turned to Chloe who was sat with a big smile on her face, just lapping all this up. It hadn't taken long for them to assume their usual position of trading barbs to mask a mutual affection. As they looked at her unamused, she struggled to remove the smile.

"Well, much I'd _love_ to hear more about this, I…think I'd better head off to the Torch. I wanna lay down some notes for an article about memory loss before I forget," she offered, getting up and making her way down the steps. They failed to acknowledge her little attempt at levity.

As Chloe left the barn, it was Lois' turn to speak.

"I think I'm gonna grab a shower. One hour ought to do it."

Clark watched Lois descend the steps and cursed that he'd have no hot water for a shower of his own again. His mind briefly wandered to the previous night and Lois in her underwear with her fabulous body but he quickly shook his head and cleared that thought. No way, under any circumstances, would he ever make a move on the bossy, outspoken and brash girl who'd taken over his bedroom and burrowed her way into his life.

Shelby was padding around the loft with a Frisbee in his mouth so Clark decided to run outside to the small pasture behind the barn and have a little fun with his new best friend. It was one way to forget everything else.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

Lois had resumed her shift at the Talon the following morning, and Lana was immensely grateful and pleased that Lois was back to her usual self. Martha would be back at work after the weekend so at least by the start of the week, the shift rota would be back on track. Lois had just finished serving a customer when she saw somebody approach the bar. She had a feeling she should know him but her mind was drawing a blank.

"Hi. What can I get ya?" she asked.

Kevin nervously stepped closer and opened his backpack, taking out a package in a brown envelope.

"This is all of it. I-I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said, looking at the floor ashamed.

Lois was surprised but kept her voice down. "You! It was you who took my memory and the money?"

"Look, I'm not proud of what I did but I want to put it right. Starting now," he explained.

Lois carefully took the package and looked over the envelope, keeping her eyes on Kevin as she opened it. The envelope contained money. Removing it and quickly counting it, she found $200 plus maybe ten dollars in loose change. Having helped Martha and even Lana count the takings on several occasions, the amount more or less tallied with what they'd expect to find after a busy morning. She looked up at Kevin again, curious.

"Why would you do that?"

"I got into a destructive cycle after what happened last year, but thanks to your friend Clark, I can now do something more positive with this gift," he explained.

Lois was now curious. "And what might that be?"

"I'm working with Summerholt on a programme that helps people affected by memory loss to come to terms with it. The job is part time and I don't get paid, but Summerholt have agreed to fund my college tuition after I graduate from high school. I guess they also feel a bit guilty for what my dad did."

"Well, I'm not happy about what happened but I guess I'm back to normal now. Maybe it's better to not dwell on bad memories, or even the fact I had _no_ memories for a while."

Kevin smiled for the first time. "Because of what happened, the Sheriff decided not to press charges after I said I'd return the money. I've left a bit extra in there just because I caused so much trouble. Thanks for understanding. I'm glad you're better now." As he made to leave, he added, "Oh hey, tell your friend Clark thanks for everything. He's a good guy. I can see why you like him."

Lois was incredulous. "What? _Me_ like _him_?"

Kevin explained. "Well, yeah. The way you looked at him, and how he helped you when I took the money, and how much he wanted me to try and help get your memories back. I thought you guys were like that because it seems you like each other a lot." He crossed his index and middle fingers together on the word 'that'.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Here was Kevin suggesting that she and the dorky farmboy had a thing for one another judging by how she'd behaved when she had amnesia. It simply wasn't possible, was it? _Oh god, did I do something?_

Lois was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't notice Kevin slip away and out of the Talon. She looked over at the front door and then at the envelope full of money on the counter. Had she forgotten anything that was worth remembering?

* * *

 **FIN.**


End file.
